Pamlico gets heavy dose of snow, small earthquake

This week's snow has been great for building snowmen. Diana Perez helps her uncle, Cesar Perez, build theirs Wednesday morning.

Chuck Beckley/Sun Journal

By Charlie Hall, Sun Journal Staff

Published: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 03:03 PM.

BAYBORO — Pamlico County got a heavy dose of snow which piled up a foot or more in some areas on Tuesday.

The Pamlico County Sheriff’s Department reported only four incidents involving vehicle crashes, all with property damage and no personal injuries.

One incident near Reelsboro was a hit-and-run, which resulted in a New Bern man being jailed on a $2,000 bond.

Sgt. Michael Whaley of the sheriff’s department said 62-year-old Derek Croom of Colonial Way, New Bern, was located and arrested later while having lunch at the Bojangle’s in nearby Grantsboro by N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper Steve Brown.

Croom was still in the Pamlico County Detention Center at midday Wednesday.

“We had about a foot of snow around most of the county,” Whaley said, adding that some residents in the Cash Corner area on N.C. 304 reported 13 and 14 inches.

“We had a few cars that slide into ditches,” he said, adding that there were also no reported power outages during the storm.

BAYBORO — Pamlico County got a heavy dose of snow which piled up a foot or more in some areas on Tuesday.

The Pamlico County Sheriff’s Department reported only four incidents involving vehicle crashes, all with property damage and no personal injuries.

One incident near Reelsboro was a hit-and-run, which resulted in a New Bern man being jailed on a $2,000 bond.

Sgt. Michael Whaley of the sheriff’s department said 62-year-old Derek Croom of Colonial Way, New Bern, was located and arrested later while having lunch at the Bojangle’s in nearby Grantsboro by N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper Steve Brown.

Croom was still in the Pamlico County Detention Center at midday Wednesday.

“We had about a foot of snow around most of the county,” Whaley said, adding that some residents in the Cash Corner area on N.C. 304 reported 13 and 14 inches.

“We had a few cars that slide into ditches,” he said, adding that there were also no reported power outages during the storm.

Road conditions were said to be good on main highways — N.C. 55 and N.C. 306 — around noon Wednesday. He said the state Department of Transportation was working on N.C. 304, which goes from Bayboro to Goose Creek Island.

Oriental Police Officer Dwaine Moore said there were several cars that went into ditches in his jurisdiction, but otherwise no significant problems.

“DOT did a good job on (N.C.) 55,” he said. “We still tell people to take it slow and easy into Thursday.”

He reported that parking lots were being cleared in Oriental Wednesday and many businesses were again open.

Pamlico County also had a reported earthquake Monday evening, which Whaley said had generated “lots of calls” but no reports of any property damage.

He said residents around the county heard a loud “boom,” and some reported their homes shaking. Whaley and some other residents thought it was a familiar sound from nearby military training grounds or aircraft.

He said the 2.5 quake reported by the U.S. Geological Survey was a reported 2.5 magnitude.

Muffin Page Schmidt didn’t feel the earthquake at her home in the southern part of the county, but she did have plenty of snow.

“We did have between 9 to 12-inches, depending. We were very happy the power has stayed on,” said Schmidt, who lives between Oriental and Minnesott Beach.

She said it was not the worst snowstorm she had encountered, referencing a massive 1989 Christmas storm that piled as much as 20 inches along the coast in neighboring Carteret County.

She said her family spent their time Tuesday and Wednesday “cooking and stoking the wood stove.” For entertainment, she took photographs.

“Generally I find this type of weather great fun for a day or two,” she said. “This winter however I kinda want to have a conversation with that Pennsylvania groundhog.”

Pat Prescott, who lives near Grantsboro, said there was “at least 10 inches of snow.”

Prescott, a county commissioner and also the Grantsboro town clerk and director of the Pamlico County Historical Association, said she spent the snow time working on preparing to mail membership solicitations, a task she split with volunteer Renee Midyette.

Otherwise, the storm was not a major hindrance for her.

“After several weeks of this I have come to the conclusion we will all be 10-pounds heavier, as all I can think of to do is cook and eat,” she said. “We have been blessed to retain electricity. For most of us, this is nature’s way of slowing us down for a couple of days. For others however, it is overtime work in extreme conditions as they clear our roads and power lines and respond to emergencies and accidents. I appreciate each and every one of them.”

Charlie Hall can be reached at 252-6325-5667 or Charlie.hall@newbernsj.com.